


Dogfights

by basilmemories



Category: Free!
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-23
Updated: 2013-12-23
Packaged: 2018-01-05 17:26:22
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,519
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1096559
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/basilmemories/pseuds/basilmemories
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>At least they had something they were equally terrible at.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Dogfights

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Enchanter](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Enchanter/gifts).



> For Enchanter for Yuletide. Sorry I couldn't get the porn in! the boys were too dumb to go for it.

 If one could analyze the behavior patterns of one Ryuugazaki Rei, they would find an strange, seemingly at odds sorting of items that went in the "utterly ridiculous but he'll swear by them" category, and ones that fit within "you all are crazy and I want none of this madness".

 

"No! absolutely not! There's no reason for it!"

"But Rei-chan look, they'll help sponsor the club!"

This was most definitely the latter.

 Nagisa (of course, why wouldn't it be Nagisa) held the poster high, about to Rei's eye level. Gliding across the stage were two starry-eyed princes, with their knights trailing behind. Rei swore that- yes they were being showered in flower petals.

"And this is... a historical epic?"

 "Ehh, more or less..."

 "But look at their costumes, I bet they cost as much as they'd give us."

 "Never fear Rei-chan, I took care of the negotiations!"

 "That's something to be afraid of..."

 However, Nagisa continued on as if Rei hadn't said anything, "Two armies clash on the battleground, and the princes do battle! Which cause is right? Which side will win?"

 "...Don't all armies fight on a battlefield?" he looked over at Haru, almost pleadingly "Haru-senpai, tell him we can't do this!"

 "It sounds like too much work."

 "It's fine, me and Rei-chan can sign up!"

 "Then it's okay." Haru didn't even look up from his lunch.

 "Haru-senpai!"

 

\--------------------------------------

 

Snag number two came when they got to the auditorium.

"C'mon, the play is in a few months, can't you grow your hair out?" Nagisa tugged at it, gently, while Rei tried to get away... futilely.

"No! The amount of drag in the water would significantly reduce my time, and it would be too much to get under a cap. Can't I wear a wig?"

"Rei-chan, this is for authenticity!"

"I don't think any of this is authentic." Thankfully, mercifully, the doors opened to the auditorium, and in came a tone that was half overprotective growl, half frustration. Perhaps it was a hundred percent uncomfortable dance belts, but Rei hadn't calculated that possibility in full.

Rin didn't look really the historical epic type, or even the acting type, but considering that most of the plot his character had was "announce attacks" and "be furious at things", it could work. The teeth helped, they really helped. Honestly, they had to, because all the brocade wasn't, not that Rei really had a leg to stand on there either. Rin trailed after Gou and she put on bits of her costume, the necklace of her character's lost love, her ring, the boots...

"You never told me he was in this too!"

"It's just a small role! I don't think he has more then a scene onstage."

"That's still... tch." Because there's no good way to say that you're afraid of your team Capitan asking your sister out on a date.

 "~Samezuka School Tradition~" she damn near halfway sung, all the while slipping on her gloves, putting on her hat, making sure her ponytail was nice and tight.

 "But you're the princess!" And about then he looked over her costume carefully "...aren't you?"

 "Nope!" And about then she put on the scabbard and slid the blade in home. "I'm a knight!"

Both Rin and Rei hoped that the sword was just a prop.

 

\-----------------------------------------

 

Five weeks in and Rin and Rei had made a series of developments.

Week one was "you sometimes swim with us and we're rivals on decent terms". Week two was "Oh my god, you understand how horrifying Nitori's sense of cleanliness is". Week three was "We're never going to try practicing swordfighting against Gou again". Week four was "You call that swordfighting? I've read up on all the theories!". And currently, week five was "I'll show I'm better than you, hopefully without seriously injuring either of us".

Baby steps,  baby steps people.

When they practiced it was all intensity and drive. Each move was looked over, analyzed mentally and then tweaked, unnecessary movements reduced, disarms improved, feints becoming more cunning, strikes honed. -at least that's what they thought it looked like.

From the bleachers Gou could take in the "pitched" battle with about as much seriousness as it merited. She took another sip of her drink, shook it to see how much was left, and passed the thing over to Nagisa. "This beats their last time."

"Yeah, they got tired a lot faster before!" Both winced as one wrong move hit a shin ("You did that on purpose!" "I did not!") Rei fell, hit the mat hard, and flailed a bit when Rin tried to go in for the final stroke. While it wasn't the most graceful thing, it did knock Rin off balance and crashing into Rei.

-A few months, they could be ready in a few months... right?

 

\----------------------------------------

 

Two months in, and Rin was a cold, snow-covered mass at Rei's door. Ice had built up on the path in, and it took a lot to avoid nearly all the patches. In fact it made him start to reconsider bringing the damn speedo glasses his coat. If he wasn't going to open the door soon, he'd head right back down and not only go straight home, but mock the guy for coming to school halfway chilled. The wind kicked up in ways that clawed into Rin's jacket, stung his eyes, made him regret the trip entirely, sent him down a stair before Rei opened the door. Rin turned.

"Hey." The humanoid-looking bundle stuck its' arms out, halfway waved the coat it was holding at Rei, "Let me in already, it's freezing out here!" before barreling towards the door.

"...Rin-san? Ah, the ice-!" Too, too late. Rei heard a sharp yell, saw the bundle fall, and noticed with a quickly dawning horror that Rin's ankle was _not_ going to be okay after that stunt. Rin, on his end, spouted curses that would make vulgar poets weep, half-crawled, half-dragged himself inside. Despite Rei's best efforts. ("Rin-san, please!" "I said I'm fine!")

 It took two endlessly long hours for Rei to convince Rin that he wouldn't be going anywhere that night. Medical reasons, transportation and weather reports, a call to Rin's parents, at one point Rei was sure a proper flow chart was going to be needed, with bullet points. At the end though, Rin was gracelessly flopped onto the couch with his foot up, his hair a loose and ragged mess, and a scowl almost seemingly etched on his features.

 "Hey speedo glasses-"

 "Excuse me?!"

 "Move your head, it's getting in the way of the tv."

 "You could say it more politely than that"

 "My ankle's twisted!" Like that was an excuse. Either way, it worked, and Rei moved back to lean against the couch. His eyes looked over his coat, and then to a long bundle Rin had dragged in with him.

 "Are those...?"

 "Yeah, I thought we could go over one of the scenes again." There was a pause.

 And then Rei laughed.

 "Hey, shut up!"

 "You could have _asked_."

 "I just didn't want to make this visit pointless, okay?!"

 "Rin-san, next time if you want to visit, simply call."

 "Quit making a big deal out of it! I just don't want to look bad because of you." And then when the damn kid wouldn't stop smiling, he grabbed Rei's hair and yanked it back, perhaps even a bit too hard.

 "Rin-san! Stop it!"

 "Serves you right."

 

\--------------------------------------------------------

 

It was shortly after that when Gou and Nagisa began to notice a change. Rin and Rei still went all out at each other during practice, still had a long way to go, but in regards to each other their movements seemed more... considerate. The give and take wasn't over in a short while, but lead to where one saw the other's mistakes, and then showed the other how to improve. It lead to the same challenging grins as before, but a moments' pause for their opponent to pick up a lost sword or get to their feet. There were the taunting words, but more congratulations came at the end of the fights.

 "They're still really terrible though." Gou absentmindedly rubbed her leather gloves together.

 "Yeah... but there's still the rest of the cast!" and then Nagisa went quiet. "Hey, do you know what they remind me of?"

 "Hmm?"

 "They're a bit like dogs!"

 "Ehh?"

 "No really Gou-chan! Think about it, when dogs are young, they learn by play-fighting! They always growl, but their tails are wagging, and they never really mean to hurt anyone." He smiled at the both of them, and how Rin laughed as Rei nearly connected with the foil. "Plus they get to know each other that way..."

 "I guess you're right but..." Now it was Nagisa's turn to make the little questioning sound. "Did you just compare them to _puppies_?"

 "Ah- I guess?" And that's when the sound of two fencing foils hit the ground, and two shaggy-haired "princes" started coming towards them.

 "-HEY! What the hell?"

 "Nagisa-kun, I am not!"

 Well, they had more time for improvement, the play was still a few months away, after all.


End file.
